reviews
Tears of the Willow
Tears of the Willow is a contemporary novel—with tidbits of history—about courage, love, redemption, and forgiveness. We all know these women; they are our mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and best friends—and the men who love them.
*WOW....the words are powerful! It had a little bit of everything....humor, history, love and everyday life events that anyone who takes the time to read it will be able to identify with. I highly recommend it!
*From the first paragraph to the final word, Marie Duess takes you on an enlightening and heart-wrenching journey. This is a book that you don't want to have come to an end as the characters come to life. You feel as though you know them.
*My book club read Tears of the Willow this month and I think this was one of my favorites so far. I look forward to reading more of Marie Duess' books!
Ashley Hall
Ashley Hall is a coming-of-age story set in 1960s Queens, New York, which shows how one family’s problems touch the lives of the apartment dwellers around them.
*This is a wonderful read, beautifully written with great character development. The author's descriptions of the place and time are perfect, even the outfits are spot on.
*This is an engaging tale of a unique NYC 'village,' in the 1960s and yet it is universal in its appeal. Highly recommended...
*The stories of these neighbors are beautifully weaved and balanced. The reader sees complex and deep characters that seem like a contradiction at times, a true reflection of human nature. The 60s are more than a setting - they are another character. Not having lived through the 60s, I found the descriptions of the changing mood of the country and the turmoil that it sometimes brought to be fascinating, especially reading about the day JFK was shot. This is a great read!
Joshua's Ring
Joshua’s Ring is a true story about the power of love even after death. A must read for anyone who wonders if there is life everlasting.
*Marie makes me believe in the afterlife of Joshua and his connection to his family! So wonderful that they can see signs of him around them when they are grieving. Very hard to lose a child and God makes it possible not to lose hope in this book!
*I recommend this book to anyone who has lost someone and believes they are receiving "signs" from the lost loved one. Its a book of hope and love. I have read it twice already, and more than likely will read it again. It just makes the heart feel good...
Colonial Inns and Taverns & The Delaware Canal
Colonial Inns and Taverns of Bucks County: How Pubs, Taproom, and Hostelries made Revolutionary History and The Delaware Canal: From Stone Coal highway to Historic Landmark are not just local history accounts, but can be applied to the history of early America everywhere. Loved not only by history enthusiasts, but by people who didn’t think they liked history.
*Nicely written and full of great local, historical information, I would recommend this book by Marie Murphy Duess to anyone doing research on this area of the country. I'm currently writing a novel set in Bucks County, PA, and found this book to be very helpful. It nicely places the surviving inns and tavern buildings into the context of the pre-revolutionary war setting and beyond, and talks about the various roles they played in the area's (and the country's) history. It contains lots of black and white photographs (comtemporary as well as historical) that were helpful in picturing the various locations discussed in the book, and covers everything from the arrival of William Penn to the rise of the Delaware Division Canal.
Feisy After 45
An anthology, compiled and published by Elaine Ambrose, includes some of the best blogs from women writers...including one of mine!
*I absolutely love how the best bloggers in Feisty After 45 have taken real aspects from their life, shared through their blogs and invited us to feel and laugh with them. Nothing is left unsaid and many stories have an aspect of humorous irony that makes the reader smile along.